Hand hold for cartons and the like



1965 J. A. STECKERT 3,

HAND HOLD FOR CARTONS AND THE LIKE Filed June 5, I964 INVENTOR. Jay A. Sfec/rerf BY W AWWM ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,221,976 HAND HOLD FOR CARTGNS AND THE LIKE Jay A. Steckert, 5615 Brockway, aginaw, Mich. Filed June 5, 1964, Ser. No. 372,307 2 Claims. (Cl. 22952) This invention relates to cartons, boxes, packing cases and the like, and more particularly to a hand hold construction therefor which is capable of enabling the carton or the like to remain closed at all times except when the hand hold is in use.

Corrugated cardboard, plastic and other boxes, cartons, packing cases, and the like quite often must be carried from place to place by hand and are of such size and weight as to be difiicult or awkward to handle. Moreover, many of the boxes, cartons and the like, such as beer cases, are adapted for reuse. In many instances, the use of the box or carton can be facilitated by the provision of hand holds or openings into which the users fingers may be inserted, thereby permitting transportation of the box or carton with considerably less difficulty than otherwise would be encountered. However, it is not always practical to provide openings in the walls of a box or carton. For example, the cartons and their contents may be stored for substantial periods of time in places where dust is prevalent. If the cartons contain openings in their walls, the contents of the cartons could become soiled and otherwise damaged. Moreover, certain goods, such as beer, may be adversely affected by prolonged exposure to light. Consequently, it is not desirable to provide unshielded openings in beer cases.

Hand hold constructions for cartons and the like have been proposed heretofore, but not all of the proposals have been entirely satisfactory for a number of reasons. For example, it has been proposed heretofore to form segment-shaped flaps in the side walls of a carton and which may be pushed inwardly or pulled outwardly to provide a hand hold. If a carton is of such size as to correspond substantially to the size of the goods it contains, it is difiicult, if not impossible, to push the flaps inwardly, for the reason that the contents of the container prevents such action. Although the flap in such an instance may be pulled outwardly, difficulty may be experienced in grasping the flap with sufficient purchase to enable it to be pulled outwardly. In either instance, it has been found that the bending of a flap inwardly or outwardly stresses the material from which the carton is made and more often than not causes the flap to tend to remain in a partly open position. This results in a partially open container, having the disadvantages referred to above, and, in addition, can interfere with the loading of the container with goods or with the handling of the container, or both.

An object of this invention is to provide a hand hold construction for cartons, boxes, cases and the like, and which overcomes the disadvantages of similar constructions in use heretofore.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carton hand hold construction which facilitates opening of a hand hold.

A further object of the invention is to provide a carton hand hold construction having a flap which normally is urged to a position in which it closes the hand hold but which is easily swung to a position permitting access to the hand hold.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hand hold construction for a carton or the like and in which a flap is provided so as normally to close the opening, the construction being such that the flap may be opened in one direction only.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be 3,221,976 Fatented Dec. 7, 1965 pointed out specifically or will become apparent from the following description when it is considered in conjunction with the appended claims and the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a carton having a hand hold constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 and illustrating the closure flap in its closed position;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2, but illustrating the closure flap in an open position; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary, end elevational view of the flap construction as it appears from inside the carton.

Apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention is adapted for use in conjunction with a carton C having planar side and end walls 1 and 2 formed of any suitable and'conventional material such as cardboard, corrugated paper, or synthetic materials such as polypropylene, polyethylene, and the like. The particular material from which the carton walls are made is not especially critical, but it is preferable that the material have a certain degree of flexibility, as will be pointed out hereinafter. However, rigid materials such as wood or metal may be used under certain conditions hereinafter referred to.

The carton as manufactured is hollow and has top and bottom walls 7 which, together will the side and end walls 1 and 2, provide an enclosure for goods. The walls forming the carton preferably are smooth so as to facilitate sliding of the carton. The smoothness of the walls, however, makes it difficult to handle the carton. Accordingly, a carton constructed in accordance with the invention includes a hand hold construction 8 at one or both end walls 2. The hand hold construction comprises a preferably segment-shaped flap 4 which is formed by cutting the wall 2 along the arcuate line indicated at 3. The cutting of the wall preferably is oblique to the plane of the wall, as is best shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, and at a rather steep angle so that the edge of the wall at the cut is inclined outwardly and downwardly. The cut edge of the flap 4 is, of course, complemental and, as is viewed in FIGURE 2, the cut edge of the flap also is inclined outwardly and downwardly.

In a carton having side walls made from cardboard, corrugated paper, and the like, the material from which the wall is made is of such flexibility as to enable the flap 4 to be pushed outwardly, whereupon the flap hinges along the dash line 9 in FIGURE 1. The flexibility of the wall material should be such as to permit repeated hinging or bending without rupture. Should the walls of the carton be formed of rigid material, it would be possible to hinge the flap at the line 9.

Means is provided for yieldably maintaining the flap 4 in its normal, closed position and comprises a strip 6 of elasticized fabric, rubber, or the like which is anchored to the inner surface of the wall 2 by suitable means such as staples 10 and to the inner surface of the flap 4 by similar staples 11 or the like. The staples 10 and 11 are spaced apart from one another a distance such that the hinge line 9 is interposed therebetween. Moreover, the strip 6 is secured to the wall 2 and to the flap 4 in slightly stressed or stretched condition. Consequently, the strip 6 constantly exerts a force on the flap tending to swing the latter inwardly of the plane of the wall 2. Since the oblique surfaces of the wall 2 and the flap 4 prevent inward swinging of the flap into the carton, however, the strip 6 functions to yieldably maintain the flap 4 in the plane of the wall 2.

Preferably, the strip 6 includes a pull member or extension 6a which is of such length as to be capable of projecting through the slit 3 and beyond the wall 2 so as to be accessible from outside the carton. The extension or tab 6a may be grasped by a person whereupon the flap 4 may be swung to its open position illustrate in FIGURE 3.

The disclosed embodiment is representative of a presently preferred form of the invention, but is intended to be illustrative rather than definitive thereof. The invention is defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A carton construction comprising a bottom Wall and single thickness, substantially planar side Walls forming an enclosure, at least one of said side walls having an opening therein; a flap hingedly joined at one of its edges to said one of said walls and occupying said opening in the plane of said side wall, the remaining edges of said flap being free of said side walls so as to permit said flap to be swingable out of the plane of said side Wall to form a hand hold; an elongated elastic member; first means securing said elastic member adjacent one of its ends to said side Wall parallel to and substantially in the plane of the latter; and second means securing said elastic members to said flap, said first and second securing means being located on opposite sides of the juncture of said flap and said side wall, that portion of said elastic member lying between said first and second securing means being constantly under tension whereby said elastic member constantly exerts a force on said flap tending to resist swingingof said flap out of said plane in one direction, the remaining edges of said flap and the confronting edges of said side Wall being oblique to said plane and engageable with each other when said flap occupies said opening to prevent swinging of said flap out of said plane in a direction other than said one direction.

2. A carton constuction comprising a bottom wall and substantially planar side walls forming an enclosure; at least one of said side walls having an opening therein;

a flap hingedly joined to said one of said walls in the plane of the latter and occupying said opening and being swingable out of said plane in one direction to form a hand hold; an elongated elastic member; first means securing said elastic member adjacent one of its ends to said one side wall on one side thereof; second securing means securing said elastic member to said flap, said first and second securing means being located on opposite sides of the juncture of said flap and said one side wall, that portion of said elastic member lying between said first and second securing means being constantly under tension whereby said elastic member constantly exerts a force on said flap tending to resist swinging of said flap out of said plane in said one direction, and said elastic member extending from said one side of said one side wall through said opening to form a pull tab for facilitating swinging of said flap out of said plane in said one direction; and cooperable means on said flap and on said one side wall engageable with one another when said fiap occupies said opening to prevent swinging of said flap in any direction except said one direction.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 436,209 9/1890 Brown. 2,015,625 9/1935 Harrison. 2,192,412 3/ 1940 Reaume 22952 2,349,985 5/1944 Page. 2,481,871 9/ 1949 Potts 229-52 2,874,870 2/ 1959 Collura 22952 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Examiner. 

1. A CARTON CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING A BOTTOM WALL AND SINGLE THICKNESS, SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR SIDE WALLS FORMING AN ENCLOSURE, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SIDE WALLS HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN; A FLAP HINGEDLY JOINED AT ONE OF ITS EDGES TO SAID ONE OF SAID WALLS AND OCCUPYING SAID OPENING IN THE PLANE OF SAID SIDE WALL, THE REMAINING EDGES OF SAID FLAP BEING FREE OF SAID SIDE WALLS SO AS TO PERMIT SAID FLAP TO BE SWINGABLE OUT OF THE PLANE OF SAID SIDE WALL TO FORM A HAND HOLD; AND ELONGATED ELASTIC MEMBER; FIRST MEANS SECURING SAID ELASTIC MEMBER ADJACENT ONE OF ITS ENDS TO SAID SIDE WALL PARALLEL TO AND SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE PLANE OF THE LATTER; AND SECOND MEANS SECURING SAID ELASTIC MEMBERS TO SAID FLAP, SAID FIRST AND SECOND SECURING MEANS BEING LOCATED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE JUNCTURE OF SAID FLAP AND SAID SIDE WALL, THAT PORTION OF SAID ELASTIC MEMBER LYING BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND SECURING MEANS BEING CONSTANTLY UNDER TENSION WHEREBY SAID ELASTIC MEMBER CONSTANTLY EXERTS A FORCE ON SAID FLAP TENDING TO RESIST SWINGING OF SAID FLAP OUT OF SAID PLANE IN ONE DIRECTION, THE REMAINING EDGE OF SAID FLAP AND THE CONFRONTING EDGES OF SAID SIDE WALL BEING OBLIQUE TO SAID PLANE AND ENGAGEABLE WITH EACH OTHER WHEN SAID FLAP OCCUPIES SAID OPENING TO PREVENT SWINGING OF SAID FLAP OUT OF SAID PLANE IN A DIRECTION OTHER THAN SAID ONE DIRECTION. 